| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative opens with the vav-consecutive vayya‘lu {וַיַּעֲלוּ | wayya‘alu} “and they went up,” establishing sequential action, followed by the locative bevaʿal-peraṭṣim {בְּבַעַל-פְּרָצִים | bəvaʿal-peraṭṣim} marking the scene. The Hiphil imperfect wayyakkēm {וַיַּכֵּם | wayyakkēm} “and he struck them down” highlights David’s martial initiative. The clause wayyō’mer dāwîḏ {וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד | wayyō’mer dāwîḏ} introduces David’s interpretive declaration. In that speech, the verb pāraṣ hā’ĕlōhîm {פָּרַץ הָאֱלֹהִים | pāraṣ hā’ĕlōhîm} “God broke through” uses a breach metaphor for divine intervention, intensified by the simile kəp̄ereṣ māyim {כְּפֶרֶץ מָיִם | kəp̄ereṣ māyim} “like a breaching of waters.” The result clause ʿal-ken qārû šēm-hammāqōm hahû’ Bāʿal-peraṭṣim {עַל-כֵּן קָרְאוּ שֵׁם-הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא בַּעַל פְּרָצִים | ʿal-ken qārû šēm-hammāqōm hahû’ Bāʿal-peraṭṣim} explains the origin of the commemorative place-name. |